Disturbia
by J. R. Pharoah
Summary: It's the old saying: What makes a monster? For Sora, monsters are things that go bump in the night with sharp teeth and beady black eyes. For Leon, monsters are chain-wielding ghosts that kept you stuck on memories better forgotten. But for the both of them, they are about to learn the real definition of the term 'monsters,' and find a little peace. LeonSoraRiku Vampire!AU
1. Child, I Will Hurt You

Author's Note: one of my favorite brainchildren right here. disturbia's a concept that I thought of when I was a teenager. As I played around with it, as most stories, it's become so much more. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed evily plotting it haha.

WARNING: smut, gore, violence, pedophilia, underage sex

* * *

Prologue: the secret WATERWAY  
CHILD, i will hurt you

* * *

It may not have been a life worth living, but it was _something_.

There was nothing like having a family. People you could trust, you could rely on. And for Sora, orphaned at a young age along with many others whose parents died in the massacres. Children were spared. No one understood why. But as those children grew into adolescence, they learned that it was theorized someone, something out there had killed the adults in hopes of creating an army out of the children that were left.

Who knew? It was all just conspiracy theories created by idle minds.

The kids moved on in hopes of escaping their predicted fates of becoming someone's weapon, army, and moved to Traverse Town. Untouched where men and women and children lived happily.

The children, now a little bit older, had decided to create a home there. But the untouched city saw them as nothing more than pests, unwanted in their town. Their selfish, busy lifestyles led the kids to live underground, away from city life, living off the people's spoils, but at least they were all together.

For Sora and his friends, they had chosen to make their home, a place they liked to call the Secret Waterway. It was a tunnel, guarded by steel pipes that looked to be unmovable, Some may refer to it as the sewers, but to them it was home. As chilly and drippy as it did become in winter.

Winter had approached quickly, and now, the children had grown over the years between their old town and finding Traverse Town, as well as settling in. Teenagers now.

Riku had always said it was them against the animal known as society. Riddled with fleas. The townspeople may have disagreed, claiming the orphans the only fleas this town ever saw. But the group didn't need outsiders, as long as they had a home, food, and most importantly, each other. It was a family, their family, and that was all really mattered right?

That and the fact that they were alive. They _felt_ alive. And it was better to be in their position with bruised palms and scraped knees than to, as Yuffie liked to put it, with a colon in your neck.

In the face of a new terror, it was better to be dead than undead, that was for sure.

–

It was obvious when someone was around the bend. Footsteps echoed louder through the cave, reverberated and bounced like the drip drops of ice. And it was always easy to judge, based on how hard or softly they walked, just who it was. In this case, it was Yuffie, with her way of stomping about in her heavy combat boots.

Riku and Sora, seated on old crates by the fire they made couldn't help but raise their head, nervous, aware of the fact that Yuffie was running. Fast. But then again, they thought as they shared a quick glance. Wasn't she always running somewhere?

She came in barreling, falling over herself into the thick moss-covered rocks that lined the secret waterway. She howled in pain, rubbing at her nose that dripped with blood. Drip. Drop. And she wiped at her nose, inspected her stained hand. "Oh shit," she said, in a hurried attempt to wipe it away. That was when she looked up at the trio of boys by the fire. Riku had already stood up. Blood. The scent of it could easily lead the monsters to them.

"Are you crazy?" Riku said, his voice low but harsh.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Yuffie stood up and blew the fallen bangs that fell into her dark eyes. They still managed to hold that innocence that belonged to children. Even if their childhood didn't leave room for puppies and tricycles. "I got the food." She said as she threw the paper bag she was holding onto the ground and cans rolled out on the slick ground. The boys' eyes trailed the can as it rolled. They were starving, after all.

"Well, good..." Riku said, though his eyes stayed planted on the waterway entrance. "Close it back up, before..."

"There's no monsters coming," Yuffie said with a wave of her hand, but she still did as asked and lifted the heavy iron bars so they could be placed at the arch of the waterway. That way, at least the facade of safety was present. "I outran them here—"

"What?!" Riku shouted so loud it caused Sora and the boy beside him, Tidus, to turn their necks so fast they nearly got whiplash. His voice echoed like cave drippings. Even the fire ceased to crackle and turn newspaper to ash. "You let them follow you here?! How could you be so fucking stupid?"

"Last time I checked, I'm one of the only ones here who does the food run," she turned her eyes to Sora and Tidus. Tidus wasn't fast enough, and in all honesty, was a bit of a chicken when it came to the monsters. Aladdin over on the side didn't want to risk dying and leaving his girlfriend, Jasmine, alone. Pathetic. And Sora? Well, Riku wouldn't even _think_ about letting Sora go alone. Not under his watch. So it was left to Riku and Yuffie. And Yuffie had tried to quell her fear by turning it into a game of sorts.

"At least when I go, I don't try to play tag with the monsters," Riku growled as he picked up the cans and tossed them to Tidus and Sora. He pulled the switchblade out of his boot and proceeded to cut open the lid. "It's like your out looking for them."

"Psh, I'm fast. I can handle it." Yuffie walked over and tossed her soaked olive jacket to the floor. She sat on one of the crates and rubbed her hands together before holding them up to the fire. "What are you looking at?" She snarled at Tidus, who rubbed the back of his neck.

"Me? What did I do?"

Riku had trained to warn them all of the monsters. The were fast, much faster than Yuffie, and yet she always came back with stories about how she outran one this night and saw three the other night. But what she failed to see, most likely, as the monsters doing what they did best, feasting and slobbering on their prey. Sure, they all had heard Riku's horrific stories, but Riku was the only one who had seen it. He was the only one who really knew.

Ever since he was little, it was like he had a monster following him at a steady, safe distance. And it scared the hell out of him.

"Can't you stop being so reckless all the time?" He had been a ticking time bomb for a while now, and everyone had just been waiting for the night he'd explode. Yuffie was always doing crazy stunts, and if there was anyone who took it seriously, it was Riku.

The monsters weren't a joke, never had been. He remembered waking up in the middle of the night with Sora at his side, and he'd look to his surroundings. Wherever they were always depended on where they were sleeping that night. And he'd see these same yellow eyes. This same black silhouette that watched him, watched him, smiled. He'd close his eyes, as if that could will it away, eventually fall back asleep, and wake up as if his eyes had been casting strange shadows in his dreams.

"You're going to get yourself killed. Or worse, one of us!" He said.

"What do you mean 'or worse?' Geez, besides, I can handle them no sweat. They're no match for me-"

"Yuffie, get your head out of your ass and realize something...those things out there are monsters. They'll tear you apart just so much as look at you!"

"S'not like you care," Yuffie said, stubbornly crossing her arms over he chest and turning around on her makeshift seat to stare at anything that wasn't Riku.

"Riku."

Sora's voice was a lamppost against a pitch black night. Soft and comforting, it cut the edge off almost instantly. Riku glanced over to see Sora gesturing with a nod that they talk in privacy, and they stood up from the crates, moved the iron gates once again, and stood outside in the bitter, biting cold of another harsh winter.

"What?" Riku asked, already defensive as he wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed the sides of arms for some warmth. "I'm just worried," he said when Sora gave him that knowing look. Raised brow and a frown, that told Riku immediately that he hadn't handled himself as well as he probably could have.

"I know but she's your friend, and you just told her she's going to get torn apart."

"It's the truth," he looked down, his teeth chattering nosily. Small snow began to fall into his white blond hair, disappearing and weaving as if his hair was made from snow itself. He had never been one for the cold. "What if something happened to us because of her? I wouldn't even want to say I told you so."

There was a bit of a laugh that erupted from Sora, one of the little things that was a secret pleasure for the two boys. Laughter. It was one of the only things they had.

"Even on your dying bed, you'd say it."

And Riku smiled back, before he reached forward, and put his hand on Sora's shoulder, his face turning somber. "I don't want something to happen to you."

"I'll be fine. You'll be there to make sure nothing happens to us," Sora said with a grin, his lips beginning to tremble from the cold as well. He shuffled his feet, sneakers covered in old, dirty snow, and his tartan flannel was hardly enough to keep him warm, even if it was underneath the thick jacket Riku had let him borrow a little while ago.

Winter was always brutal, but now they had more than just the cold to worry about.

"Stop being so afraid, okay? I know what you saw was horrific but-"

"I'm not afraid. I haven't been afraid of monsters under my bed since I was a little kid," Riku said, his eyes narrowed. And he knew exactly what monster kept him up at night, though that was something he hadn't told Sora. "I'm just cautious. At least someone needs to be."

Sora sighed, soft, and though Riku was a bit of a hard-ass at times, he was right. Someone had to be the hard-ass in this group. It most certainly wasn't Sora.

"Come on, let's eat, I'm starving," Sora said as he grabbed Riku's hand, the gloves they wore moth-eaten and punched with holes, but there was a warmth there. A heartbeat Sora held in the palm of his hand.

And they walked inside, forgetting about monsters for the time being. Just for now, they could forget. Sora always had a way of making Riku forget.

–

There were times, for Riku, when he could easily forget his fear, his anxiety, his stress, and those times were few and far between, and Sora knew that.

When he had the chance, he'd give Riku that moment, made sure he bottled it up and relished the moment enough that he could forget monsters and winter and starving for just a few moments. An hour, tops.

And these were one of those moments, as Riku sat on a swing, laughing as he kicked his legs, and Sora pushed him from behind to give him more height.

He wanted Riku to feel like he was soaring.

Riku had even stopped insisting that they get back to the waterway, and seemed to be loss in the bliss of Sora's laughter that made Riku's heart pound against his chest, ring in his ears.

"If I push you any higher you're going to do a flip," Sora said with a laugh as he did just that, and pushed Riku even more. "Yuffie sure would be jealous."

"Yeah, she would, do it again," Riku said with a laugh, his bangs fluttering in his eyes, and he closed them, ignoring the bite of the wind that rushed at him every time he pushed himself forward on the swing.

They spent a few more moments laughing before Sora walked away, watching as Riku leaped from the swing and landed shakily on his two feet, before taking a wrong step, and falling against the white snow, his chest heaving.

Sora laughed, running forward and collapsing beside Riku, his arms strewn over Riku's chest as he nuzzled his nose against his neck.

"Clumsy," Sora said with a grin as he brushed some fallen snow out of Riku's hair, moon hair, Sora liked to call it before the moon became something to fear.

And though they were out now underneath the moon that hung in the midnight sky, their faces were flushed, their lips pink, as they laughed together in a way that they had never been able to stop doing.

"No monsters out tonight," Sora said with a grin, his nose tinged pink from the cold, and his cheeks tinged pink from Riku.

And Sora guessed he shouldn't have said anything at all, with the way Riku's face hardened, and all the laughter was replaced with that somber expression Riku always had whenever he was brought back to reality.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it," he said as he scratched the back of his head and reached forward, pinching Riku's cheek. "Smile, come on, please. I didn't mean to make you think about it. Ugh, we were having so much fun."

Riku pushed his hand away, and moved to sit up, his hand raking through his hair, and Sora, desperate to go back to the way things were a moment ago, grabbed his shoulders.

"There's nothing out here, Riku. Just us. There's nothing-"

Sora stopped when he heard the soft creak of the metal swing behind, and he could have sworn all the blood drained from his face when he saw Riku's expression.

The higher you are, the harder you fall, and in that moment, everything came crashing down at their feet.

He didn't want to look, God, he didn't want to look, but Sora slowly turned around, heart beginning to pound when he saw a vampire perched on the swing like the gargoyle statues above the hotel in the second district.

The monster grinned, a fanged smile, and Sora swallowed the thick lump in his throat when he saw the monster's chin already smeared with blood. It stood up, lean and tall, casting a shadow over them, and Sora stumbled backwards on his hands, pushing himself away, kicking at the ground for propulsion.

Riku sat in place, trembling as he gaped, his body frozen in place, like all he could do was stare, stare, stare.

Sora grabbed his arm, and he glanced over for just a second, saw Sora's eyes pleading, mouth open, silent string of words coming out, though Riku couldn't understand. He couldn't do anything but stare as the monster looked back, and two more tall, lean figures joined him, hands clutching the chain as the monsters watched them.

He imagined their necks being cracked in two, and blood spurting out, and most of all he imagined Sora, looking to him, asking 'why? Why didn't you keep your promise?'

And he was snapped out of his trance, and turned to Sora.

"Should we fight?" He asked, a stutter in his voice, and his chin trembling.

"No, that's suicide. Just Run! Go!"

Sora finally managed to catch his footing, and stood up, pulling Riku along with him, who still kept his eyes on the monsters who watched with amused smirks.

They took off running, sprinting, and it wasn't long before they heard the monsters begin to run after them. They cried out, a battle call? A taunt? They weren't sure, but it was the most awful, blood-curdling sound the two had ever heard.

Sora looked at Riku, saw the expression on his face that he had ever seen before. Terror. A look of steadfast fear that made him run faster, against the burn in his thigh. Run faster against the sting in his chest as they ran for minutes now. Minutes without getting any farther from the monsters, minutes without getting any closer to their home. They ran without direction, without a single thought besides get the hell out of there, and live.

But Riku knew the vampires were just toying with them. He had seen them run so fast their body blurred, and they appeared so fast it was as if they didn't follow any rules the world had set for them. They could have easily been right in front of them whenever they chose. But why weren't they? Why were they letting them engage in a game of cat and mouse when it was clear who the winner was?

Was it cruel of Riku to fool Sora into thinking they could escape? There wasn't a way, right? It was impossible. But...Yuffie had managed to avoid them, maybe, maybe there was a bit of hope that could lead them home.

At least one of them.

"Go! Run faster, Sora! And don't look back, whatever you do!"

Sora nodded, he ran faster than he had ever imagined, God, it felt like he was soaring. Even when the bitter realization of pain and fatigue hit him. Like the burn in his chest, and the air whipping past his watery eyes and chapped lips.

But it felt different when his steps were fueled by adrenaline and fear. Fueled by the fact that his life was at stake.

He wasn't sure how long he would be able to do this for. Home was close, but would he really be able to outrun the vampires there?

But now wasn't the time to doubt himself. He knew there was no chance he wouldn't make it. Both he and Riku. He was focused, determined, and ignored every physical part of him that burned.

There was the turn up ahead. The turn that lead to the alleyway where home was. All he had to do was make it there. Just survive, make it there.

But, now that he thought about it, Yuffie and Kasu were there. Would the vampires follow him inside? Of course they would, so if they could, they had to have some sort of plan.

"Riku, we can't lead them to home. We have to shake them before that."

And there was no answer.

If Sora had looked back before, he would have noticed Riku's step slowing, would have noticed that Riku was stalling, was using himself as the distraction.

And a cry pierced through the air, ripped from the vampire's throat that made Sora stir. It sounded like a cry of victory, and when he turned his head, in the corner of his eye, he could see the vampires swarming.

"Riku!" He screamed, but didn't have time to turn back, when he suddenly felt himself falling, his foot catching something that sent him flying down a dark pothole. He screamed his friend's name again, all before his head collided with the hard ground, and his world went black.


	2. Disturbia

Author's Note: Official chapter 1. Be warned, its unedited.

Disturbia  
Chapter 1

* * *

A day of being his sister's personal chauffeur was one Leon could write off in the books as a day he'd rather forget. Long, drab, and heavy with the scent of flowers, as the flower section of any department store was always a must-see spot.

Homemart was their place, and for a Friday, it was exceptionally crowded. Wall to wall with people, the use of a cart would have been futile, and so Leon was stuck with a flower vase in one hand, and a a bag of mulch in the other.

"Are we almost done here?" He asked, feeling a tickle on his nose, and what cruel fate that his hands were too occupied to scratch it. He tried wiggling his nose around, but it wasn't enough to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling.

"Almost," Aerith said as she walked over with a smile and reached her hand up to give the bridge of his nose some relief. "One more thing, and then we can go pay."

"Finally," he muttered, and he didn't want to admit it, but his arms were beginning to go a bit numb from the vase. "Just hurry up, will you?"

No sooner that Aerith disappeared into the crowd once again, someone bumped into his shoulder, rough and discourteous, and walked right past as if nothing happened.

"Watch where you're going next time," Leon muttered, but it was a lost cause as the man was already looking at the deals on begonias.

God, it was unnerving being around this many people, he could hardly move his arms. But there was something odd about the brush he felt against his ass, that could have easily been a woman trying to get a handful. But he turned around, and saw someone short, or crouching, with a crown of mussed up hair, pulling his hand back and in that hand, carrying a wallet. But not just any wallet; that was his wallet.

The boy glanced up, eyes widening when he saw that he had been caught by his victim. Leon could see the chord of fear that struck in his eyes, and he quickly stumbled backwards, tripping clumsily and nearly falling into the crowd of people behind him. Leon quickly lunged forward, grabbing at the boy's wrist before he could fall back and become lost in the crowd.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you little-"

"Leon. What are you doing?"

"This little shit was trying to steal my wallet," Leon said as he ripped his said item from the boy's trembling hands. He didn't care that the boy's face was that of a lost boy, with dark rings under his eyes and dirt streaking his cheek. His hair was matted, knotted even.

It was clear the boy didn't have a place to call home, and Leon knew there were quite a few homeless people in this town, among other things that weren't as simple to handle. And even though Leon had had many run ins with the homeless, he couldn't say that he had ever seen this one's face.

"Calm down," Aerith said as she grabbed Leon's arm, attempting to pry it from the boy's gaunt wrists, but there was a solidity there. Leon's eyes bore into the boy's, and beside them, a crowd was beginning to form, which Aerith alerted Leon of. "Just let him go, he didn't steal your wallet, isn't that what matters?" She added.

That cold gaze turned on his sister, and he seemed shocked at her passivity. "I will not let him go. I should put him behind bars for attempted theft."

At that, the boy's eyes widened exceptionally, and Leon could practically see the nervous sweat that broke on his forehead.

Leon had a smug smirk on his face, and said, "That's right. Probably wasn't a good idea to try to steal from a cop. You won't like jail, but at least you'll have a home." He reached for the belt around his waist to pull out the badge and handcuffs he had on hand, when he noticed Aerith fuming.

"Ow," the boy said with a wince. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Leon scoffed and rolled his eyes. Sure he was apologizing. He didn't want to get in trouble. It wasn't like he was actually sorry or anything, and he hoped his sister didn't fall for his big blue puppy dog eyes he was trying to throw at them.

But Aerith's eyes showed concern, and she walked over to the boy with that motherly look she always had. His sister was always the compassionate one in the family, She loved to help people, especially children and teens, given she was a social worker. And she loved animals. Aerith would dive into oncoming traffic in order to save a bird if Leon or Zack weren't there to hold her back.

Leon had picked up compassionate traits from Aerith. Leon liked kids, Leon liked animals, but he could _not_ have sympathy for a kid who tried to steal from him. He didn't trust others at first, and rightfully so, when there were people out there only looking for their selves in this world. Besides, Leon didn't want to be too trusting of anyone and end up putting his family and the ones he cared about in dangerous situations. He wanted to protect his sister, who he thought was a bit too trusting, and he felt he couldn't let his guard down for just anyone.

"Let him go," Aerith said to Leon with a stern look in her eyes. Although Aerith was sweet, Leon knew what that look meant. The same look she gave Zack that made the former marine shake in his boots.

"Please, I'm so sorry," the boy as he clasped his hands together. "Please don't call the police." His big eyes teared up as he looked from Leon and Aerith to the group of people huddled around them. His cheeks flared up, and he bit his lip and looked down, ashamed.

"Give me on good reason not to," Leon said, demanding, as he let go of the boy's wrist. His arms crossed over his broad chest and beside him, Aerith stared at the boy with a scrutinizing face. Probably examining him. He looked young, maybe around fourteen or fifteen. But still old enough to know right from wrong, in Leon's opinion. He looked homeless. His clothes were dirt-covered and grungy. His hair was matted and messy. And he had a couple of small cuts on the cheek around his eye. He knew already that Aerith was probably predicting his whole sad life story, and how she could probably fix it.

"I just can't go to jail. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm I just-"

"You had no other choice," Aerith filled in for him, and the boy nodded, ashamed. Leon glanced over at Aerith with a glare and pinched the bridge of his nose. _No, no, she is _not _feeling sorry for him._ "You have no family? No parents?"

The boy didn't say anything, but continued to stare at the ground with a small shrug of his shoulders. The crowd began to die out, seeing that nothing exciting was going on anymore ever since Aerith diffused the situation Leon had started.

"I just wanted to buy food. I do what I can to eat," he said after a moment, and Leon could see Aerith's heart breaking in her eyes. He let out a deep, aggravated sigh and shook his head at his sister. Maybe this kid was just playing the sympathy act to get out of trouble. Maybe Aerith was falling right into his trap.

"Don't even think about letting him get away, Aerith. He's probably lying," Leon said, and Aerith leaned forward to talk to Leon quietly, so the boy couldn't hear. Leon still kept his eyes on the kid though, aware that he might take this oppurtunity to run if they let him.

"Look at him," she began with a frown on her sweet face. "He obviously doesn't have access to clean clothes. He looks like he hasn't washed up in days." Leon said nothing, but let out another aggravated growl, to which Aerith responded by turning back to the boy and smiling that sweet smile of hers.

"I'm Aerith. This is my high-strung brother, Leon." The boy looked on with wary eyes, but his body visibly relaxed. "Would you like to come out to lunch with us? You don't have to try to steal. I'll gladly buy you something to eat."

"No-no," the boy answered with an uncertain shake of his head. He looked shocked and confused, and unsure of what Aerith's real intentions were. "I don't want any sympathy, especially from someone that I don't deserve it from."

"I insist," Aerith said before glancing back to look at Leon. "Right, Leon?"

"Hey! What happened here? I heard this boy tried to steal something from you," The store owner said as he walked over to the scene, fire brimming his eyes when he looked at the boy, who flinched under his gaze. The man rubbed his thick mustache and glanced at Leon. "Shall I call the police?"

Leon had half a mind to tell him to throw the kid into prison and walk away without a second though. But he knew Aerith would be mad at him for the rest of the day, if not longer. He glanced over towards Aerith's, whose face was pleading for him to do the right thing. He glanced over at the boy, who was shaking in his tore-up dingy sneakers. He looked on the verge of crying, and Leon knew he had no choice in this matter.

"No, it's alright.

* * *

"You still haven't told us your name," Aerith said in a gentle and coaxing voice before lifting her fork full of lettuce and fruit into her mouth.

After leaving the store, they had brought Sora to a café to get some food in him. Maybe the first time had he eaten in days.

The boy wasted no time in digging into the Panini he had ordered. He took bites too big for his mouth, and slid a handful of fries into his ranch dressing with great ferocity. The kid had obviously been starved, and Leon, for a brief second, may have felt bad for the kid.

"Oh..." the kid said as he swallowed a huge mouthfull before answering, "Um...I'm Sora."

"Sora, huh," Aerith mused as she nodded her head. "How's the food, Sora? This is me and my fiance's favorite little cafe," she said, smiling at the mention of her boyfriend, Zack.

"It's really good," Sora said, and is if to prove his point, he took another large bite of his meatball and cheese sandwich. "I haven't had food this good in a long time."

"Looks like you haven't had food in a long time, period," Leon said quietly, and Sora smiled in embarrassment.

"I guess," he said under his breath and around a mouthful of food. He was timid in the way he responded to Aerith and Leon. He was a lot more polite than Leon had imagined he'd be, being appreciative of the lunch Aerith had bought, and answering every question she had asked of him with a small smile. It was hard to look past the boy's smudged face, and dirty hair, but the kid did have an endearing quality about him. He had a young face, and big eyes, and a nice smile to match. He looked like he'd be a good kid, if he wasn't in the situation he was in. Out on the streets and doing whatever he thought he had to to get through the day. Leon could see why Aerith had felt bad for him. But Leon was still finding it hard to warm up to his thief.

"Not surprising. You couldn't even steal my wallet without getting caught," Leon muttered with a bit of a bite to his words, and beside him, Aerith sighed in frustration. "So tell me, do you ever eat? Since pick pocketing doesn't seem to be your thing, I'm wondering how you get money for food."

"Leon," Aerith said with a warning tone.

"I don't enjoy doing it," Sora answered as he stared at his lap. He scratched his head, running his fingers through his matted hair, and Leon could practically see the dirt flakes falling from the limp spikes. "I'm not good at it because I don't want to do it."

"Then how do you eat?" Aerith asked innocently enough. She propped her elbows on the table and interlaced her fingers as she looked at Sora, her face still as sad and sympathetic as ever.

"I find a way," Sora answered quietly, folding his napkin to distract himself as he talked. "Sometimes I find ways to steal it from the grocery store. Sometimes I'm able to get wallets and loose cash from womens' purses. Sometimes someone is nice enough to give me their leftovers. But," he looked up, a warmth in his eyes. Leon noticed the heavy bags under his eyes that framed his gaunt cheekbones. "No one's ever took me out to lunch."

"Well, I don't want to see a boy your age having to steal just to get food. It's no trouble at all to buy you food. It's not much, though, I know."

"It's more I could have ever expected out of anyone," he replied, offering her a sad smile.

"How old are you anyway?" Leon asked with a quirked brow. It shouldn't have mattered that the kid was still a teenager, he must have been at the age where he could have found himself a job to support himself. And Leon couldn't help but wonder why this kid didn't have anywhere he could call home. How could he have no friends or family? What had he done that made his family not want anything to do with him.

"I'm seventeen."

"Wow, you do look a lot younger," Aerith said, her brows raising. "I would have guessed fourteen or fifteen."

"Being underweight might have something to do with it," Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders that were, indeed, quite frail. He was pretty skinny, and the clothes he wore were draping off his body.

**"Breaking news: Another horrific killing here in Traverse Town has left everyone shaken up. The monsters that have been responsible for all of Traverse's Town recent killings have struck yet again. Officials aren't sure what they are exactly yet, but three people, ranging in age and gender, became victims late last night."**

Leon noticed the way Sora immediately perked up when the news began on the television. _I wonder if he even knows what's going on in this town. He surely doesn't have access to the news._ Of course, anyone first hearing about the horrific killings would be shocked, he knew he and Aerith sure were, and every time another news story about a new number of victims began to broadcast, Leon couldn't fight the bile that rose in his throat, the anger that surged into his knuckles that began to grow white as his hands tensed and formed to fists. He despised those monsters.

**So far, there have been no correlations between victims, and it seems these monsters have only one thing in mind. Blood. The victims' bodies were left in the same condition as all other victims. Puncture wounds in various parts of the body, and a great loss of blood detected. Though officials aren't sure whether the deaths are caused by the loss of blood, or the violent act itself, there is one thing we know for sure: these monsters' are rising in numbers, and sadly, so are the number of victims.**

"Not again," Aerith breathed as she held her hand to her mouth and watched as a crying woman appeared on the television set to tearfully, angrily mourn the loss of someone dear to her.

"Vampires," Sora murmured almost so quietly Leon barely heard him, but he had caught what he had said, and turned to Sora with an almost disbelieving look.

"What?" he asked as he leaned forward, and narrowed his eyes at the younger boy.

"I—I said those aren't just monsters. They're vampires," he said, his eyes growing dark, his face growing even more sullen if that were even possible.

"Vampires?" Aerith asked, her eyes widening as she glanced from the television screen towards Sora. "Why do you say they're-"

"I've seen them," Sora said as he ran his hand over his face and let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"No one has been able to see them. Those that have were always killed," said Leon, always the one to be questioning, scrutinizing. He seemed to be fond of playing roles such as Devil's Advocate.

"What happened?" Aerith asked him, not questioning him once, but believing him. Why she was so trusting, Leon would never be sure, but he had always guessed she had inherited that trait from their mother.

"I've been so lucky my entire life. I don't know how, or why, but I have been," he began as he idly poked at the table with his fork that he hadn't touched before, for his food hadn't had use for it. "But I saw them. I know they're vampires, they have to be. They have fangs, sunk in black eyes, white skin. And they attacked us Like all the others." He seemed to be in a trance as he spoke, like he was mentally checked out, maybe like it hurt too much to think about what he was saying.

Leon found himself able to relate to sad stories like this.

"And I survived. I don't know how. I just ran. I ran away." His voice grew shaky, his eyes tightly shutting as he tried not to cry. "But they killed my friend. My best friend."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Aerith spoke as she leaned forward, taking his hand that was holding the fork into her hand. He flinched at the contact, looking up surprised at the gesture, but didn't pull away.

Leon took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, steadily. His story struck a chord within him, and he was almost angry that he felt sympathy for this kid. And he hated that his story was making him feel angry, upset in ways that he tried so hard to block off. If he didn't resent the kid before, he certainly did now, for making him feel.

"No, no, it's okay," Sora said as he wiped at his eyes before anything could fall.

"You ran...and they didn't chase you?" Leon asked, glancing up at the kid, who had nothing to say. He looked as surprised as Leon was. Sure, that didn't quite add up to the recent stories of attacks, but Leon believed him.

"May I ask you something?" Aerith asked, polite as ever, to which Sora nodded. "You don't have anywhere to go? At all?"

"Not anymore..." he said quietly, but didn't elaborate.

"Leon," Aerith whispered as she grabbed her brother's hand, and led him away from the table after excusing herself. "I can't just let this boy walk out of our lives without something."

"You bought him lunch," Leon said as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "His story is sad, Aerith, but what else do you want to do for him? You can't save everyone, no matter how badly you want to."

"I can't believe you, Leon. Out of everyone, you should have the most sympathy for that poor kid."

"He's not even a kid, he's nearly an adult."

"Leon." Aerith said as she crossed her arms over her chest, her brows turned upward as she stared at Leon in a way that reminded him so much of his mother. He hated for his sister to give him that look. The look that mean above anything else she was disappointed in him.

"What do you want to do then, huh?" Leon said, turning his fixed gaze to the boy who was staring at the television with a dazed, zombie-like expression.

"I can't just let him live on the streets. He already had one run in with those monsters. What if-"

"Aerith, he isn't you're responsibility," Leon said with a curt shake of his head. He was ready to end this conversation. He did feel bad, it wasn't like he didn't have a heart, but Leon had the suspicion that Aerith wanted to help this kid by giving him a roof over his head. Their roof. His roof. And he wasn't sure he wanted to extend that much help towards a stranger. A stranger that had tried to steal his wallet.

"I know. I never should have invited him out because now I feel some sort of bond with him." She shook her head, resting her cheek in her hand as she gazed down sadly towards the ground. "I just knew when I saw him that he had a sad story to tell. I never knew it'd touch me that much. I just...I can't let him go back onto the streets. What if he's next?"

Leon stared at Aerith, gaze cold and stern as usual, but after a long moment of silence, he shook his head, and knew that he had been defeated.

"You want to invite him to stay in our house?"

"I know it's going to put us out, but-"

"Fine."

"What?"

"Fine, I said, fine, fine, fine."

"Oh, thank you, Leon. Just one or two weeks tops."


	3. Ghosts

Author's Note: A bit of a short chapter. Working hard on some original stuff and also have work and school to distract me. Hope you enjoy and thanks so much for all the favorites and follows. Anyways, read on and review!

Disturbia  
Chapter 2

* * *

Aerith was an honest woman, but that didn't stop Leon from speculating that "two weeks tops," was more of a guesstimate than anything. And he wasn't even sure if she had told Sora about his little deadline, but that was exactly why Leon himself was leaned up against the guest bathroom's door with the sound of the squeak of a shower turning off.

_Took long enough,_ Leon thought as he pushed off and stared pointedly at the door. A few moments passed until the door opened and the light spilled onto the carpet. Sora was there, bare and drippy aside from the towel wrapped around his waist, and he jumped when he saw Leon there.

"Hi?" He said, awkward as he took a step to the side to avoid Leon and he turned around, his cheeks burning. He cleared his throat and said over his shoulder, "Thanks for letting me use your shower. Haven't taken a hot shower in a long time."

And Leon cleared his throat, feeling a slight tinge of a feeling. It wasn't a 'poor-kid,' kind of feeling, more like a 'that's-rough,' kind, and that was more than Leon expected to feel for the kid.

He was a pickpocket, a no-good thief, who had tried to pick Leon as his victim. As a cop, that kind of thing didn't fly with him, and if it hadn't been for Aerith, he would have made sure Sora wasn't running the streets. No, he'd be in jail.

"We need to talk," he said, arms crossed over his chest.

He wore a scowl, maybe a bit of a mask. He knew that a soft spot could only mean trouble. That he learned the hard way last year. He wasn't going to waste emotion, especially on someone like Sora.

"O-Okay," Sora stammered and walked to the guest bed where Aerith had laid out a fresh shirt and shorts for Sora to borrow. One of Leon's old shirts that would likely be a dress on Sora. The man towered over him. And some old gym shorts that were his too. Sora knew this, and couldn't help but feeling awkward wearing the clothes of the man who he had tried to pick pocket and who absolutely didn't want him here.

"Listen," Leon said as he walked over and prodded Sora's back, still warm and wet. "Don't get cozy here. I mean it. One, two weeks, tops. And that's it."

"No problem," Sora said as he backed up, the back of his knees hitting the side of the bed. He felt cornered, and he _hated_ that feeling. "I appreciate it a lot."

Leon scoffed. "Hmph. Don't think you're going to get away with trying to steal from me too." Leon took a moment to notice how much different Sora looked freshly showered. His hair was a more vibrant brown, even soaked and matted to his head. His skin wasn't dirtied, but the bruises on his skinny frame were more noticeable. His eyes were dark=ringed, but he looked better. Cleaner for sure.

"I'm sorry about that. Really," he said, and his eyes shifted down to the clothes on the bed. "Do you think I could change real fast?" He asked, his cheeks still tinged red.

Leon turned around, his little lecture not yet complete, but allowed Sora some privacy. He heard the rustle of clothes, and cleared his throat a bit when he could have sworn he heard the sound of the towel falling to the floor.

"You may have fooled Aerith with your sob story, but I'm not as sympathetic as her." The way he sounded, it was like he was angry, and he wasn't sure if it all stemmed from the fact that Sora had tried to steal his wallet.

Taking the hint, Leon stepped to the side, but followed right behind when Sora walked towards the guest room.

"I'm not trying to fool anyone," he said as he reached forward and touched Leon's shoulder to let him know he could turn back around, but at the slight touch Leon stiffened. He turned back around, his eyes solid, bearing into Sora in a way that made him look away.

"Look at me," Leon said, a man made of intimidation. Sora did as told, looked up with guilt in his large, soft eyes. Complete opposite of Leon's, sharp and cold that led nothing to how he really felt.

Sure, Sora knew Leon was mad about what happened, but he looked positively hate-filled. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea he stayed here, but for a bed to sleep and a little bit of safety from the streets, he may have been willing to deal with Leon.

"I don't trust you," he said every word nice and slow with conviction. He wanted Sora to know the seriousness of the matter. It was written in the cold, hard tension in the bridge of his nose, in the stern line of his mouth. "If you're up to something, I'll find you. And I will have no problem arresting you."

Sora chuckled. "Arresting me? Are you some sort of-"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Leon pulled out his badge from his shirt pocket and flashed it at Sora, whose eyes grew large.

"Oh," he said dumbly. "Well...you don't have to worry," he said, licking his dry lips. "I didn't ask to stay here, ya know," he reminded Leon, his neck craned to look up at Leon. "And I'm not up to anything. I really do appreciate being here."

Leon rolled his eyes before dropping his hand and turning away. He muttered something underneath his breath that Sora didn't catch.

"Um?"

"We all have sad stories," he said, staring down at the ground until he glanced back momentarily to see Sora, a sad, vulnerable looking boy who Leon was painting as the enemy. "Why should you get special treatment?" He asked, angry. Sora could tell that much, even if there weren't many emotions he could see in Leon's eyes.

much.

Sora didn't know what to say and hesitated to speak. He didn't think much of his life was a gift, and this favor was a blessing, yes, but special treatment? Is being a good person to another in need what Leon considered "giving them special treatment?" He hardly agreed with that idea. "What do you mean?" He asked, finally.

"Look, I'm not here to be your friend. But if Aerith is making me do this, then well..." He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and continued, "You're a child, and I can help you get the skills a child needs to make it on their own. That much I can do, but that's it. Food and shelter for now, but I'll help you get a job and find a place of your own." _Then he can be on his own again, like we all are eventually. Back to square one._

And that was that. Without so much as a second glance, he left the room to head down the hall.

He left Sora angry, alone and angry with the way Leon had said. It had struck a nerve, and he headed out the door and followed Leon who had already made it to the other end of the hall to his room.

Without so much as a second glance in Sora's direction, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sora took a deep breath and said, "You say I'm a child. That I can't make it on my own," and Leon turned to him, acknowledged him with a bored look, but at least he wasn't ignoring Sora. "But I'm here, alive, you know. And I did it on my own." His hands formed fists, his eyes beginning to sting with fresh tears, flashes of Riku's face playing in his mind, the sounds of those monsters' screams echoing faintly in his head.

"Your point?" Leon asked as he sat down on a computer chair at his desk.

"You're living, but I was surviving. And I'm not saying I enjoyed it, any of it, I didn't. I didn't want to try and steal your wallet, but I was trying to survive. I did what I had to do."

There was an amused smirk that played on Leon's face that only fueled Sora's words even more.

"You say you're not going to be my friend, but I think its _you_ who needs a friend." He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. And there was a long silence that passed between the two of them, until a small laugh errupted from Leon.

"You think there's some things you can teach me? Prove it."

"I will," Sora said, defiantly. His shoulders fell in a rush of breath, his frustration that had caught in his chest in his haste to speak lifted. "I still want to say thanks."

"Thank Aerith. If it were up to me, you'd be locked away."

"Either way, you would have given me a place I could feel safe."

* * *

_Steady, steady Leon. Clear your head. Aim. Focus. Then maybe it'll be okay to pull the trigger._

Leon's thoughts summed up his entire life. Watchful and cautious. He planned a well-thought out reaction to every aspect of his life.

A moment of exhale was a relief to him, But those moments were few and far between in a way that made Leon figure how hard it was to know what living was.

He just wanted to hold onto control. That meant power. Hold onto every little part of him that made him feel strong. Dispose of the weaknesses. How else could he have survived in his line of work? He wasn't going to let himself become the humans those monsters fed upon in the cobblestone streets of Traverse Town.

His arms remained steadfast in front of him and he held his gun, aimed at the target ahead of him, imagined it was one of those monsters. He remembered when guns could actually kill a man, but those monsters were other beings entirely. He wasn't even sure if a gun could hurt them, at the least maybe it could slow them down, but what then?

_Stop thinking like that, Leon. Shoot the target._ And with that, he pulled the trigger, and it pierced the human-shaped target in front of him. It missed any of the weak points, and Leon let his hands fall to his side.

With his head so muddled, he'd be dead before he knew it. Just like Cloud.

He pulled down the sound-proof earphones down to his neck and stepped out of the cubicle of the target-training room. He stopped, caught by surprise when he saw Zack there, a worried look on his face.

"What happened there?" He asked, brow raised as he looked past Leon to the target. He put his hand on Leon's shoulder, who rejected it with a shrug, just as he did to everyone else.

Everyone was just someone to keep at a distance. Even Zack, his close friend and Aerith's fiance.

Zack understood, he knew what had happened to Leon. Losing a friend was hard, but Leon had lost the only person who had any resemblance to the image Leon had of a lover in his life.

"You're trying to kill them, not trim the fat."

Leon looked up, and Zack could see the sad, grey bags that rimmed his eyes, red with delirium and exhaustion.

"Allergies or something? Aerith got you working too much on the garden?" Zack tried to play it off like he didn't know what was really wrong with Leon. Tried to play it off like Aerith hadn't told him that Leon sometimes woke up in the middle of the night just to aimlessly walk around the kitchen, maybe hoping to find some ghosts of the past.

But there were no ghosts, only monsters.

"Couldn't sleep," Leon replied, wiping at his eyes with the back of his palm.

"Can't be fighting off vamps running on only honey buns, you know," he said with a smile, familiar with the sticky sweet feeling on his fingers whenever he indulged in his fiance's infamous desert. Leon and himself included, couldn't get enough.

"Is that all you do? Joke around? Has Aerith even told you about the little problem she's keeping in the house?" Leon rubbed the bridge of his nose, aggravated already by Zack. He had enough of him at work, let alone at home now that he popped the question to Aerith. Sure, they were close, but ever since Cloud's death, Leon had found himself distancing himself from Zack. Probably his way of keeping his co-workers at bay so that another death wouldn't hurt again.

"Oh yeah, homeless kid, huh? That's a new one. Aerith's always been one for stray puppies," he said as he rolled his eyes, thought it was playful. Leon knew the kid was head over heels for his sister. "Think he's got rabies?" he said as he elbowed Leon in the rib.

"At least then I could shoot him out of his misery," he said, but there it was again. That strange ache that made him feel something for the kid. Was it the fact that Sora had been running from vampires for the past year? Or maybe it was the fact that Sora had enough of a mind to tell Leon he had been wrong.

Leon was living. Sora was surviving.

What Sora didn't realize, was that there was more to survival than just staying alive.

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she's hooked on the kid," Zack said with a sigh as he placed his gun in the holster, and gestured for them to head to the locker rooms to catch a shower.

"Two weeks tops, I told her," Leon said as he put his gun in its respective holster as well, and followed behind Zack.

"Well, the faster you get him a job, the faster he'll be out of your hair I guess."

Leon knew that wasn't true. Sure, he could help get the kid a job, but what kind of job could a previously homeless kid find that could help him rent even a shabby apartment?

He wasn't sure, but there were a lot of things Leon wasn't sure about.

One thing was certain though. Aerith sure got him in one hell of a mess.


	4. This is a trick

Author's Note: You guys are awesome for the reviews! They are so sweet and really make my day. I have a feeling you all will like this chapter. Or maybe you'll hate it, cuz it is kind of sad. I hope you enjoy though!

Disturbia

Chapter 3

* * *

Sora hadn't wanted to join Leon on his errands, but he wasn't left with much of a choice when Leon ordered him to get in the car because they were going to go 'job hunting,' as well as do some grocery shopping. An hour in, and Sora was starting to feel uneasy.

It wasn't that being with Leon made him uneasy, not too badly. In fact, Sora found Leon was easy to get along with when he wasn't projecting this image of hatred towards him. No, it was the very streets of Traverse Town that made him the most uneasy.

He was used to feeling vulnerable, even in the middle of the day. Vulnerable for fear that those vampires would come for him next. And in the midst of it all Sora was plagued with sad bits of nostalgia and memories when he rounded a familiar corner. And in a town where Sora had made the streets his home, every corner had a story behind it.

"You seem distracted," Leon said as he cast a sideways glance to Sora who bit his lip and stared at the passing buildings as they walked.

Sora swallowed the thick lump in his throat and looked up to Leon with sad eyes. "We're almost by my home." The secret waterway. Just a street or two down and there would be the alleyway that led to it. That place had this tug on him. He wanted to go back so many times, but had only mustered enough courage to return once, right after it all happened.

Waking up in the pit, he managed to pull himself out, bruised-up and all, and make his way to the waterway with the terrible premonition of loss hanging over him like a dark cloud.

And when he got there...it was a mess. The fire had been put out what seemed like ages ago—how long had he been out—and there were discarded cans of food lying around. Some had rolled their way into the water. Crates were knocked over, and there had been blood. Not a bloodbath, but still, the cavern floor was stained red, and Sora had wretched right then and there, crying into his own putrid vomit as the screams echoed in his mind over and over again.

He hadn't been able to go back ever since.

"Well come on, you have a new home for the moment. And if everything goes according to plan, you won't have to return there ever again." Leon was trying to help, Sora could tell, but it still made him feel sick to his stomach. It wasn't like he wanted to live in the waterway. It was brutal in the winter and wasn't exactly cozy, but it was where his friends were. What was that old saying? Home is where the heart is? Well, that summed up the waterway pretty well before the vampires decided to take Riku and his friends from him.

_Why hadn't it been me ?_ Sora sometimes wondered, bitterly. They had swarmed Riku, but for reasons unknown to him, had left him alone in the pit, where they might have guessed he'd rot away. They had left him alive to deal with the aftermath of it all, and sometimes, sadly, Sora was almost afraid of how he wished they hadn't.

But those thoughts were quickly cast out, as Sora remembered the type of friend Riku was. He would never want him to say those things, and Sora didn't expect it out of himself either, being the cheerful, optimist he was.

And then, there was a flash of something in the corner of Sora's eye. A quick blur that made him whip his head up to try and catch what it was. But it was gone. Whatever it was left him with an uncanny feeling. A familiar, eerie type of feeling that made his breath catch.

There it was again, and Sora stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of it.

A blur of human-form, with a scarf that whipped behind it in the wind.

That scarf. He _knew_ that scarf. It brought him back to the time Yuffie had found it one night, the many nights he wore it, scratchy as it was, wrapped around his and Riku's necks for warmth.

And suddenly he wondered...that blur! Was it Riku? Judging by the speed, he wouldn't be surprised if it was Yuffie. Could it really be them? It had been a month since Riku was killed by those vampires, and then...Sora's hope nearly gave out. That's right. The last time he saw Riku, he was being swarmed by vampires as Sora ran farther ahead. The chances of him being alive were slim to none.

But that never kept Sora away from hope. Maybe Riku really was still alive, and if he was, there had to be a good reason he hadn't reached out to him until now. Sora could understand that, and maybe, Riku was angry with Sora for running, for not turning back to help.

If only Riku knew Sora had fallen and was knocked out. He couldn't have done much.

But there was no time to stop and think. Before he knew it, whoever that was would get away, and he took off running, running with the same intensity he had that very night they were chased. Maybe this was a sign. It had to be.

"Sora! Where are you going?" Leon's voice was nothing but a far away tremor. Vibrations rippled underneath his feet that pounded against the black asphalt. He was trembling, his breaths labored, shuddering gasps as he swallowed against the sting that was beginning to tear at his throat.

Leon called his name again, an echo, muffled by the ringing in his ears, but Sora refused to look back, those same words playing out in his mind that he had heard before. _Don't look back. Keep running. Go! Don't look back..._

He ran through the alleyway lined with buildings, the figure running alongside him atop the roofs of the buildings to the left of him. And as Sora looked up, he saw the figure jumping from building to building, casting shadows, lithe and frail with the whip of the scarf flying behind it.

This all looked so familiar, and he knew what was at the end of this alleyway. Home...or what used to be home. Was it leading him there?

His eyes burned with tears, and he laughed a bit, knowing in the pit of his heart his friends, Riku maybe, were finally calling out to him. After all this time.

He stopped when his arm was tugged violently and he was pressed against brick wall with Leon's eyes bearing angrily into his. Their breathing was labored, their breath mingling together violently as they tried to regain it before speaking.

"Stop. Let me go." Sora asked in between pants as he tried to move out of his grasp and keep moving forward. But Leon pushed him forward again, feet kicking at the water as he pushed into the waterway that ran along the alley that led to his home.

Leon boxed Sora in with both arms, staring at him with more desperation and panic Sora had ever seen on Leon's face.

"Why did you take off like that? Trying to get yourself killed?" He said, angry, loud, as he rattled Sora's shoulders.

"No," Sora said with a shudder, wincing at the chill of the moving water they stood ankle-deep in. He stared, brows furrowed, finally having regained some sort of control over his ragged breathing. "I saw something. I just thought maybe...my friends..."

"You said it yourself," Leon said, shaking his head. "You're friends are dead, Sora. You're chasing ghosts, Sora. It's time to wake up." His words were harsher than he intended, Sora could see it in the way Leon's face softened and his grip on Sora's shoulders loosened, but he didn't let go.

He wondered if Leon had been stupid enough to chase his own ghosts before. But either way, it was gone, it had run and Sora was left standing there facing reality.

"I'm sorry, Leon," he said, letting out a breath. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Leon took his hands away, brushed back his hair, and once again regained composure. "It's dangerous out here. I just didn't want you too-" He stopped, but Sora knew what he was too timid to say.

"I know," Sora said, unable to keep his eyes from traveling to the entrance of his home. So close.

"I can't be babysitting you, you know."

"You won't have to," Sora said as he pushed himself off the wall and stepped out of the cold water. With one last glance, he began to walk away from the alley, but in the back of his mind, he still held onto hope. That had to be someone he knew. That scarf that person had wore was the same one he had worn before. And for...whoever or whatever that was to lead him back to his home? That couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Let's just go home. It might not be safe for you to be out on the streets still," Leon said, giving one last glance to the waterway himself. He had seen whatever it was Sora had been chasing, and in the back of his mind he wondered if that had been a vampire leading Sora away.

"You're right," Sora said, though he knew what he would be doing tonight. Sneaking away to come back home on his own. Without Leon's knowledge. That way, he wouldn't have to be a burden on Leon anymore than he already was. And if that really was Riku, he could tell him everything that had kept him awake every night for the past month.

Sora needed this to be real. If it wasn't, if Riku was dead, Sora wasn't sure how he'd come back from that. But he at least had to search.

* * *

It had been easy enough. Sora was used to being stealthy, quiet, and unseen. It was how he had survived for all those years living on the streets. Avoiding people, dogs, vampires...and now the Gainsborough family. And now he wouldn't have to worry about being a burden to Leon or Aerith. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right?

It was a long way from their house to the waterway. Between two districts even, and tonight, even for a night in spring, was exceptionally chilly.

His sweater, a size too small and bright red was warm enough, but was definitely something that could call attention to himself. Maybe not the best attire, but it was the only jacket Sora had, and he wasn't about to steal Leon's leather one.

Leather just wasn't his thing.

But anyway, it seemed to be a peaceful night. No vampires, and hardly any people, Sora realized. But then again...maybe that wasn't exactly a good thing.

He tried not to think about it. Tried to silence everything out with his earmuffs. He buried his hands in his pockets and stared at the cobblestone that moved past him slowly at first. At least, until the first lamp light when out.

He stopped, and the sudden absence of light made his heart skip a beat, and panic suddenly overcame him like a nauseating wave. But he tried to calm himself down after a moment. It was just a fault streetlamp. There were tons of those in Traverse Town. And he kept walking a little faster than he was before.

And then the second lamp light went out, and Sora didn't hesitate. He ran.

But that did nothing to stifle the wild beating of his heart. The thump against his rib cage as he ran, ran from the darkness that began to envelop him, surround him.

He stopped when he could no longer see the cobblestone in front of him. His ragged breathing was the only sound he could hear, loud enough that he was sure it could signal a vampire's keen ears.

He covered his mouth with his hand, looking upwards to the moon and stars for any source of light, and at this hour, with the lamp lights burnt out and everyone tucked away in their beds, lights off, he could really see the stars.

Like fallen snow against a black backdrop, Sora noticed, as he looked to the moon, and followed it straight ahead, knowing there was no other source of light in this district.

Still, even if the moon was his only, and best, source of light, he was drawn in an uncomfortable silence that only increased the tension. His anxiety was soaring, and maybe, he thought, this had been an bad idea.

Three in the morning. There was no chance anyone would be awake. And he wasn't about to call Leon and ask him to pick him up.

No, he would just have to finish what he started, and find his way back to where he used to call home. He had been there so many times, he was sure to find it, right?

Some time later, and he knew he was getting close when he heard the soft sound of running water. The waterway in the alleyway that led to his home. And here the lamps worked, though few and far between, and he began to feel a bubble growing in his chest from a different matter entirely.

What would he find when he got there? Would there be anything at all?

He wasn't sure, but he knew he had to find out, especially if it meant finding his friends...or finding a clue to where they were.

A scream pierced through Sora's thoughts and the white noise of the silence. Loud enough to be heard throughout districts, and blood curdling enough to make Sora jump, trip over his feet, and fall backwards into the freezing water way.

He winced when he knocked his head against the concrete wall behind him, but was more focused on the string of ear piercing screams that cut through the air clean like a knife.

Even through his ear muffs the screaming was clear, and it was clear it was a woman who was in quite a bit distress. Sora could only assume she was being attacked, whoever and wherever she was, and that was when Sora's panic became a real, tangible thing.

He hurried out of the water, breathing cut short as he crawled out, too distracted to be disgusted by the grimy water that covered his entirety.

He couldn't see much, until the lamp light began to flicker wildly, casting its light on the hoard of vampires hunched over the woman just a short distance away from him.

There wasn't much he could see with the light disappearing just as quickly as it came, but he could see the outlines, and the striking color of red. Lots and lots of red.

And when the lamp finally flickered on, and stayed that way, he saw vampires, and lots of them, moving like a mass of machinery, a thing that moved as one, and fed upon the pale flesh of that woman.

Sora saw her screaming mouth, her eyes bloodshot, and he wondered if the capillaries had burst, or the red of her face had got into her eyes. God, there was so much blood. Her hair had been torn out, leaving her scalp mostly bare, and there her hand reached out, fingers missing, palm covered in blood, as her eyes caught sight of him, staring, only staring.

And he gasped as the woman's image was replaced with Yuffie's screaming face there. Her eyes bulgeing out from her skull, tears mingling with the blood streaked on her face. Then there was Tidus, crying as he screamed Sora's name. He asked why they had been abandoned. He asked why Sora hadn't been there.

"I didn't know," Sora whispered to himself as he watched, and in an another instant it was Riku's face there now, but he looked different from the rest.

His hair was well in place, his face as pale and clean as it had ever been, his eyes staring at him. He looked just as he had back then, and Sora couldn't help but wonder if this was a trick, or if maybe, Riku was really there, being torn apart by those vampire's hands and teeth.

But if he was, he sure didn't look too upset as they ripped open his insides, feasted on his entrails and lapped at the blood on his chest.

He stared at Sora, smiling as Sora stared, eyes wide and mouth dropped in silent hororr.

He saw Riku's lips that formed his name over and over again like a prayer. Sora, Sora, Sora, until finally, Sora clutched at his head and screamed out.

"Stop!"

Come find me, was the last words he heard, so soft and close it was like a whisper in his ear, and when he opened his eyes again, burning with tears, he didn't see Riku's face, but saw the lifeless face of the woman, and the feasting vampires staring at him with blood-stained chins.

And he realized just what he had done, attracting them with his nonsensical yelling, and without further thought, he got to his feet, and ran. Ran again from the sound of the crying vampires that ran after him with their hallowed faces and pitch black eyes.

And this time the only thing he cared about was safety. There was no one behind him to worry about, and with that goal clearly in his mind, he took off faster than he thought possible.

So fast his chest burned, so fast he felt he was about to vomit, so fast he tripped and stumbled. His vision was wild, and blurred by the tears that pricked at his eyes, and Sora could hear his own erratic gasping in his ear. He got to his feet unsteadily, and kept going, listening to the echo of steps as his ear muffs had been thrown off one ear in a lopsided fashion. .

And now Sora was about to round the corner, and Riku's scream rang in his ears the same way it had one month ago, and he tried his best to block it out.

He turned the corner and stepped over the pothole that had been filled since that time, and there was the light at the end of the tunnel, literally, the tunnel that led to the secret waterway.

He leaped inside, falling against the slick wet bottom and choking and gasping for the air he desperately needed. He had never run that fast in his life, and even though the adrenaline and need for survival had pushed him forward, he still felt ready to collapse as he felt the unsteady aftermath of it all. .

He lay there, unable to do anything but gasp for air, for a moment or two, and he kept his eyes peeled for them, the vampires. But they never came. Even as Sora waited minutes and minutes for their arrival, and finally his breath caught up to him and he was able to get on his knees and attempt to stand.

Come find me, Riku had said. Well, here Sora was, and yet, as Sora looked around, there was nothing different here from the last time he had came.

He was safe for now. Either he had lost them, or they weren't as interested in him as he thought, but either way, he looked around, swallowing against the lump in his throat. He just hoped coming here hadn't been all for nothing.

He looked around his old home. The air was musty and the water was still. The walls that had been marked with writing they had done together were now covered by stains of blood, darkened over time.

It wasn't enough blood for a massacre, or to make the air smell thick with copper, but no doubt the blood here must have been there's.

He walked around, looking at the walls and trying not to let his mind imagine the gruesome scene that had surely unfolded here.

Maybe there had been a struggle, but it was obvious, if they had been killed, it hadn't been here. Not enough blood.

Maybe they had been dragged out into the snow, kicking and screaming with skin already broken in the struggle.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to picture what happened next, and all Sora hoped was that Yuffie and Tidus, when the vampires did come, didn't think Riku and he had tried to lead them there. He felt the guilt over it every day since. If it weren't for Sora running towards the waterway for safety, the vampires wouldn't have found it. Yuffie and Tidus might still be alive, and Sora would still have at least a part of his family here.

He felt the tears on his cheek before he had time to stop them, and he smiled, trying to will them away with a happy face that he could barely even muster right now.

He walked over towards the lump of wood that rested in the middle, and saw the boxes and crates they had used for seats when they would sit around the fire. They were still in tact, and he could picture everyone on that last night, smiling, laughing.

That was when Sora's eye caught the sight of something in the place where Riku had sat.

He rushed forward, and grabbed the cloth, holding it in his hand and realizing it was the scarf, the same one he had seen earlier that day. The scarf that belonged to his family. There was no doubt about it, and he clutched it in his hands before wrapping it around my neck, and maybe it was his imagine, but Sora could have sworn he smelled Riku's lingering pheromones.

He felt that maybe this was the sign he was looking for. It had to have been, right? He felt that maybe they were out there still, alive, at least one of them had to be, but then, if they were alive...

If they were alive, why wouldn't they have tried to reach him sooner? Couldn't they understand how he felt living every day wondering what had happened to them? Feeling the guilt over what might have happened to them.

Why did they wait until now? Why wait until he found at least some resemblance of a home.

Leon, Aerith, Zack, they had all wanted to help when he was struggling just to live on his own, so why hadn't his family?

What about that night that he had gotten beaten up, when he had tried to pick pocket the wrong group of men? What about the nights that he slept alone in a crate when it rained, too scared to return to here, too afraid of reliving the memories.

Where were they then?

He took the scarf from his neck and stared at it with blurry eyes. His cheeks were wet and he sniffed, staring at it and still he could identify the faint smell of Riku.

Come find me, the voice had said. Well, how was Sora supposed to find Riku, any of them really, if all they left him was a scarf, and nothing else? If Riku wanted him to find him, couldn't he have left more clues? And more important, if he was still out there, why had he left him alone? And for so long?

He threw the scarf to the ground and wiped at his eyes with the back of his palm as the tears flowed.

He didn't understand.

He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that maybe this was right, maybe this was what was good. Instead he was upset, maybe even felt betrayed, that his family was out there without even having the decency to tell him they were okay.

He missed them so much, didn't they miss him?

The vibrating of his phone in his pocket made him jump, and he pulled it from his pocket. He knew it would be Leon or Aerith, those were the only contacts he had in the borrowed phone anyway.

There read an unopened text from Leon, and he knew he had been caught, but somehow, he just wasn't sure he cared.

'Where are you? Come home now!' it read, and Sora glared down at it, angry for what he had just found out, confused and hurt mingling there too, and he tossed the phone to the side.

Leon would be fine without him for the night.

And so Sora laid down beside the scarf, wrapped the oversized material around him, and slept there beside the abandoned makeshift chairs and fireplace, with the muffled sound of his whimpers and the drippings from the ceiling to lull him to sleep.


	5. Hanging On

Author's Note: This chapter was so much fun to write. This story is such a nice break from my more serious original work that I've been furiously typing away at. This chapter is the introduction to some things that will be coming in the next few chapters, and the wait for Riku will be over soon. I'm absolutely dying for his entrance into the story too. Oh and to that reviewer I pissed off, sorry? Haha. Geez, well anyways, please enjoy!  
Oh and would you guys be interested if I posted a playlist?

Disturbia  
Chapter 4

* * *

"Are you okay?" Aerith touched Sora's cheek, his hair, checked for bruises and bites upon his return. "Leon told me you were out last night. He was worried sick, we all were."

To that, Leon cleared his throat, again standing aloof in the corner with arms crossed and chin down. He wasn't going to deny it; it was true, and for some damn reason that worried Leon. As much as Leon tried to deny it, he cared about the kid. Still, he shot Sora a look that clearly read he wasn't happy with the stunt he tried to pull.

"You shouldn't go out there, bud," Zack said as he put his hand on Sora's shoulder, his face evident of the concern they all felt. "Vampires are practically swarming the Districts. If you're not careful...you could...well, you already know..." he trailed off, cleared his throat and tried to avoid Aerith's distasteful look. Zack had forgotten that Sora had an upfront and personal account with the vampires.

"Have you even seen them?" Sora asked, gently pushing Aerith's hands away. The kid was looking beat up again, with rings around his blood-shot eyes. He may not have eaten either.

"Well, no, but..."

"I think one of them...or at least a couple, might be-"

"Is that why you were out?" Leon cut in, an angry scowl on his face as he pointed an accusatory finger. "We're all here trying to help you and you're spitting in our faces. You're looking for vampires instead of a job. And what if..." he trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you know how it'd feel to wake up and you're not here anymore. To find out you were attacked..." He trailed off, stopping and looking at the still faces of the three of them.

Aerith and Zack were concerned, but Sora's face was unreadable. Even with his large, expressive eyes, there were a lot of things Leon just couldn't understand about Sora. Maybe it was the pure emotion that Sora could make decisions with was what intrigued Leon. He had been the same way, once.

"I-I'm sorry," Sora said, dropping his head and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "But some things are more important."

"Than what, dying?" Leon asked. He didn't want to see Sora get killed. And like he said he didn't want to wake up and have Sora...not be there. There was a void left in Leon's life with the death of Cloud, and maybe Sora was able to fill it. And a part of that terrified Leon. The last time he had gotten close to someone and look what happened. Dead. Just like Sora was going to be if he didn't watch out, and soon, what with Sora actually chasing death.

Sora was sure a determined kid, but damn, was he dense.

"That's not it," Sora said, looking back up, eyes wide with guilt. "Look I didn't mean to worry you guys."

"You couldn't have at least called back then? Maybe have sent me a little text saying, 'I'm not dead Leon thanks for caring!'"

Aerith walked over to her brother and placed her hand on his shoulder. The argument was getting heated fast. Frustration, desperation, it was a mix of dangerous emotions like an alchemist mixing the wrong elements together.

"I lost my phone."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Great."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Sora said as he slid down against the wall to rest on the carpet, his face pressed into his palms. "I know all of you just care about me but..."

"Is there something going on here, more than you just liking midnight strolls?" Zack asked with a quirked brow.

"Sora, where did you get that scarf?" Aerith asked.

At this, Sora looked down at the shredded material wrapped around his neck. An uncomfortable smell to them, a familiar one to him of cave-water. And despite it's beat up appearance, he couldn't help but smile as he fingered the material.

"That's the same scarf, isn't it?" Leon asked.

"It belongs to my friends," he began, sucking in a deep breath, not ready to admit to Aerith and Zack what he had done last night. He knew he would sound crazy. It was why Leon was so frustrated with him. "My friends who died, got attacked, whatever. I think they're alive though."

Aerith asked, "And, they're trying to get in touch?" Sora nodded. "Sora, I...I don't know if I feel comfortable with this."

"Exaclty," Leon chimed in as he stepped forward. "You're going to get yourself killed out there, you know. You're putting yourselves in danger, and we are an extension of that. I mean...I went out looking for you last night, you know."

That caught Sora's attention, and he looked up quickly, blinking back the shock that read on his face. "I didn't know."

"Yeah, well, if you hadn't lost your phone-"

"It's not lost." Sora bit his lip, eyes shifting to the side to avoid eye contact with Leon. "It's at the waterway," he said quietly and under his breath.

"You went back there?" He asked, voice raising, and Aerith intervened as she stepped forward and held her hand up to Leon, to get him to calm down.

"Leon will take you there to get it." She turned to Leon and asked, "Is that okay?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Maybe you should take that ratty thing off, man," Zack said as he squeezed his nose shut and waved his hand over his face.

Sora smiled fondly at the dirty scarf, not at all bothered by the smell or appearance. "Wearing it makes me remember them," was all he said as he stood up. And he hoped it meant they remembered him too.

* * *

The car was silent. White-knuckled, Leon gripped the steering wheel and tried not to steal glances at Sora who sat with his head pressed against the window. Distracted and tense, the tension between them was thick, and the two shifted in their seats every so often in discomfort.

Memories had plagued Leon ever since Sora was brought into his life, and he guessed that was what made him so cruel. Sora was like a bitter memory, pestering Leon under the guise of a boy with the same blue eyes and spiky hair. Sora didn't look exactly like Cloud though. Cloud had a strong build, a defined jaw that wasn't covered with the baby fat Sora's face still had. They were two completely different people, age-wise, personality-wise...so then why was Leon having such a hard time forgetting?

"We need to talk, so let's talk," Leon began, and Sora finally looked to Leon with a sort of dull-interest hidden by half-lidded eyes.

"Do we?" He asked, his shoulders dropped as he sat there, his eyes moving from Leon to the floor. What had happened to him? He looked so broken. When only an hour ago he had been so incredibly hopeful about finding his friends.

"Yes. At least I do." Leon took a deep breath and focused his eyes on the road ahead, hoping it would work as a good distraction. "...I'm sorry...for being the way that I am." _So far, so good. He'll know what it means._

Sora didn't say anything, expecting Leon to continue. When Leon didn't, Sora said, "Oh...?" And Leon cursed under his breath. _He's going to make me work for it. Figures. _

"I'm not going to apologize for being worried about you. Really, Sora, I'm not okay with this reckless behavior." Sora laughed, a small sound that was almost enough to set Leon off. He cleared his throat and continued, "But, I will apologize for being...well, an asshole when you first got here."

"I guess I understand," Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like you want me here."

"I didn't."

"So, that means you do now?" Sora teased, smiling as he poked Leon in the shoulder. Nothing. He didn't even smile. "I was just kidding."

"I guess I've gotten used to you. When you're not off playing 'Sora the Vampire Hunter.'"

"Was that your idea of a joke?" Sora teased again, laughing. The light had found its way back into his eyes, at least for the moment. It was strange, getting that sort of relief from Leon of all people. But Sora couldn't help that he was stressed out by the questions. Where were his friends? Was his mind just playing tricks on him?

"Could be," Leon said, the tiniest crack of a smile showing. "Don't get used to it." There was another pause, but it wasn't filled with that awkward tension that used to flit around them like black birds. There was a part of him that wanted to tell Sora the real reason for being so bitter. He wanted to tell Sora about Cloud, but as he opened his mouth so begin, he couldn't find the words. They just weren't there. And he guessed he still wasn't quite ready, but at least it was a start of something.

"I know you must think I'm crazy," Sora said, idly playing with his hands. "I don't want to put you guys in danger, or myself, but...I don't think I'm going to get hurt."

"But you've seen first hand what these monsters are capable of. If your friends are still out there, what makes you think they'll remember you."

Sora flinched, just the mention of it made him uncomfortable. They had to remember him. They wouldn't be sending him messages if they didn't, right? That was what he tried to tell himself at least.

"They left the scarf...what am I supposed to think?"

"You know what? I really don't know," Leon said as he pulled up to the side of the curb and parked. The car made a low rumble once it was turned off, and Leon looked over to Sora who stared at the alleyway with a wide eyes, a look of fear and anxiety and amidst it hope. Sora may have been one of the only people out there Leon knew that could smile in the face of something so petrifying.

* * *

Leon stood by the entryway and watched as Sora had his moment. It was strange watching someone so completely enthralled by the dingy, dark underworld. Somewhere that was a part of him, Leon guessed, but he didn't question anything. Instead, he opted to sit by the entryway, hands crossed over his chest as he watched Sora pad around.

"How do you know the phone didn't fall into the water?" Leon asked, staring at the unmoving bog of green filth.

"You're not helping, Leon," Sora said, looking back with brows drawn forward in annoyance, despite the small tug of a smile. Leon didn't want to admit it, but he was close, so close, to breaking when it came to Sora. Was that all it took? His eyes, that smile? Leon was positive it was more. Something much more that he couldn't have put his finger on, not yet at least. "Found it."

Leon stepped forward. "Good, now we can get out of here."" He made a move for the door, but saw, as Sora flipped open his phone, that he was just standing there. He stared at his phone with the expression of a caricature. Eyes wide, bulging, really, jaw dropped. "What is it?" He asked, mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusions as his mind tended to do.

"Riku," he said, looking up at Leon with shocked eyes, and finally he held his phone out and up for Leon to see. There was an open text message with only one word, 'Riku,' undelivered. And Leon may not have had understand the whole significance of the entire thing, but he saw the look on Sora's face, and knew that 'Riku' must have been Sora's friend. "It's Riku," Sora said with a shuddering breath and he looked to be on the verge of crying.

"Are you sure you didn't just...type that out last night?" Leon asked, always the one to be plain and simple in his reasoning.

"No, I didn't. It's Riku, I know it is." And the smile on Sora's face was something Leon almost couldn't bear to crush. So he stepped back, put his hands up in a form of surrender, and watched as Sora stared at the phone like Aerith used to when she first met Zack.

"Riku was one of your friends?"

"He was the one who..." he trailed off, his eyes widening, recalling the moments. He sometimes thought to himself, how could he believe Riku was still alive after he had heard the screams...Why would Riku, still alive, just abandon Sora and come running back into his life months later? None of it made sense, but the proof, the hints, were entirely enough for Sora. Just having some resemblance of hope was enough for Sora. "the vampires killed. I thought so, at least."

Leon had actually never learned the story in all its details, but he assumed this was the best friend that Sora had mentioned. "Did you see him die?"

"No, but I heard...the screams." His shoulders tensed as his head dropped, and again Sora looked at the phone in his hands. "This has to be him though. I just know it. Haven't you ever been so sure of something in your life?" He looked up at Leon.

For Leon, countless questions plagued his life, but of a few things he was certain: Cloud was dead. Leon had failed him.

"I've only ever been certain of the past. The future doesn't write itself."

"But...maybe the future is sending me signs. Or something. I dunno. All I know is, I feel in my heart that Riku's alive. And he's trying to tell me something." Sora smiled fondly. "I need to see him. I miss him...so much."

"...He was...your lover?" It seemed that way with how Sora's eyes got misty with the early daze of love. And the way his face turned red when Leon asked, and he just smiled, sincerely, but didn't answer. "Well, kid, I hope, for your sake, he is alive. But, why wouldn't he just come right out and say it then?"

"I haven't got a clue. But when he's ready, I'll be waiting."

Leon had been that naïve before. He told himself he wouldn't move on from Cloud, unless there was some sort of sign that Cloud could give him from wherever he was, one that told Leon it was time to move on. That feeling Sora gave Leon, he had figured that to be of significance. But it seemed Leon never got the things he wanted, and Sora was already devoted to a possible vampire, a ghost, a trickster. Whoever this Riku was, he just didn't want to see him hurt Sora. The world was a dark enough place already.


End file.
